Quectel Wireless Solutions, a leading global supplier of cellular and GNSS modules, has introduced two new series of Wi-Fi 6 modules. The fist product in the lineup is the FG50X - an industrial-grade module based on the Qualcomm FastConnect 6800 mobile connectivity subsystem, which is designed to deliver faster, more secure, and more robust Wi-Fi experiences and enable new Bluetooth audio capabilities. The second product is an automotive-grade module - AF50T based on Qualcomm’s most advanced automotive Wi-Fi solution, the QCA6696 automotive Wi-Fi 6 chip.
The two new modules series are designed to deliver enhanced performance in capacity, data rates, latency, power consumption and coverage. They will bring premium wireless performance to a variety of consumer, industrial and automotive applications, such as smart homes, MiFi, smart TVs, over-the-top (OTT) devices, industrial controls, customer premises equipment (CPE), the Internet of Vehicles and much more.
The Quectel FG50X Series and AF50T Modules support IEEE 802.11 ax and BT 5.1, and are backward compatible with 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac protocols. In addition to this, the low-power Wi-Fi 6 modules support Dual MAC, 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz Dual Bands Simultaneous (DBS) in 2X2+2x2 mode, MU-MIMO with 8x8 sounding, advanced Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and 1024-QAM (Orthogonal Amplitude Modulation) capabilities, which can deliver faster, more secure and robust Wi-Fi performance, with a maximum data rate of up to 1774.5 Mbps. To address the differing demands of various IoT segments, Quectel has designed multiple variants of the FG50X series.
When used in combination with Quectel's 5G module RG500Q, the FG50X series offers a superior 5G and Wi-Fi 6 solution for MiFi and CPEs that is designed to ensure high-speed connections which can support up to 32 clients at a time, and guarantee smoother and more reliable connections for smart home gadgets and many other multi-user scenarios. It also reduces network congestion for complex indoor scenarios like home, shopping malls, schools, and factories. Moreover, the FG50X series utilizes the WPA3 encryption mode to greatly improve the security of Wi-Fi connections.
The automotive-grade Wi-Fi 6 module AF50T strictly adheres to the IATF 16949:2016 standards and complies with automotive quality processes including APQP and PPAP, which ensures they meet the rigorous requirements of the automotive segment. The AF50T is specifically designed for Internet of Vehicles (IoV) applications, such as in-vehicle infotainment and on-board diagnosis (OBD). The module's compact design of 19.5 × 21.5 × 2.3 mm in an LGA form factor permits automotive Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs to reduce their product size and design cost.
In addition to the automotive infotainment uses, the AF50T module when combined with Quectel's LTE-A + C-V2X module AG520R and 5G+ C-V2X module AG550Q makes an ideal LTE-A/5G + Wi-Fi/BT solution to address in-vehicle information processing demands, such as hot spot, data uploading and vehicle monitoring. Benefiting from its unique software and hardware functionality, the AF50T can effectively cope with channel interferences, and is also designed to work with the two C-V2X modules.
Engineering samples of the FG50X and AF50T modules are available now and have been provided to a range of customers for their new product designs, with the first wave of customer devices powered by FG50X modules expected in the market by May 2020.
